Extremely Pink

Like a lot of tough girls, pop's sexiest rebel has a flip side that's hugely vulnerable. But what makes the singer so fascinating— and a force to be reckoned with—is that, for her, there is no in-between.

Pink asks us this ominous question as she
lights a cigarette on the patio of a low-key
restaurant near Los Angeles. Although our
waitress told us that smoking isn't allowed,
the two-time Grammy winner has decided to
ignore the warning. And while we certainly
deserve to be kicked out, it's not surprising
that nobody dares to do it—after all, who's
going to tell one of the most successful pop
artists of the past decade to get the hell out
of their restaurant…especially when she has
ripped triceps and more than 20 tattoos?

But it's not just muscles and ink that make
Pink so badass. She has evolved into a
woman who knows exactly who she is: an
all-or-nothing daredevil who refuses to be
pushed around. When she does something—
on her current world tour, in her
marriage, even during this interview—she
does it all out. But there's also a softer side
of Pink that has emerged amid her mega
success, which reveals itself when she
sweetly thanks starstruck fans who approach
her during our meal.

"For so long, I was searching for something
to be proud of," says the 30-year-old singer. "But at a certain point, I realized, Wait, I'm doing
what I want to be doing. I'm not wanting to do it; I'm
doing it. And that's awesome."